Ronald Cheever, 61, has dementia. His wife last saw him on Friday, when he left home with his cellphone to go for a walk.

Crews spent the weekend looking for him. The official search had been suspended, but local volunteers were still out looking for Cheever on Monday night.

“He was in a really good mood. I just got done feeding him lunch, and he told me, ‘I want to go for a walk. Is that OK?’ And I said, ‘Make sure you take your cellphone.’ I made sure it was turned on and I stuck it in his pocket. And he went out and he said, ‘I’ll be right back. I won’t be long,’” his wife, Alice Cheever, said.

When he didn’t return like he usually did, Alice Cheever said she frantically searched the area and then called 911.

Crews patrolled nearby Route 63 and began hiking into 13,000-acre Pisgah State Park.

“They were walking. They had dogs. They had the plane up, Fish and Game. They had so many, and nothing,” Alice Cheever said.

Ronald Cheever was last seen heading in the direction of the park, but friends said K-9 teams were unable to pick up his scent there.

He’s described as a gentle soul and someone who likes to tinker with things.

“You might happen to find him on your doorstep trying to open the door, or he might be fiddling with your garage,” said Laura Fontaine, a friend.

Ronald Cheever was last seen wearing a red rain jacket with a black T-shirt underneath.

Friends said they are worried sick about him.

“None of us are getting any sleep. We’re all on edge. We all have headaches. We’re all just scared for Ron,” Fontaine said.

With a massive wilderness area to the east and a busy highway to the northwest, he could be just about anywhere, friends and family said.